Union Pacific Wooden Caboose Features

Trucks for Wooden Cabooses

Arch Bar, Andrews, Vulcan, Others

Equipment folio diagram sheets show that the CA-class cabooses for OSL and UP were delivered with arch bar trucks until August 1908, when Andrews trucks became the truck of choice. Still others are shown in photographs with T-section truck frames. According to the same diagram sheets, CA-1s built by Standard Steel Car Co. had Vulcan-brand trucks and those built by Mount Vernon had Bettendorf-brand trucks.

Wood Beam Trucks

In a program that began as early as 1939, Union Pacific's wooden cabooses assigned to mainline service were equipped with wood beam passenger trucks, commonly known as "Q trucks." These trucks had all been in service under UP's earlier N.C.S. (Non-Common Standard) class cabooses and were swapped with the original Andrews, Bettendorf, and Vulcan trucks delivered under the CA and CA-1 class cabooses. According to a June 1948 letter, the change of trucks was brought on by complaints of rough riding cabooses from the operating unions. Following the change of trucks, cabooses with the previous steel truck designs, which included both Andrews and Vulcan trucks, were limited to service on the branch lines and local trains.

The drawing for the wood beam truck (drawing 424-C-6918) is labeled as "Q Truck, used on CA and CA-1 Cabooses," and is dated October 3, 1938. The drawing shows that the truck was of a composite wood (white oak) and metal construction similar to passenger car trucks, and had a wheelbase of 5 feet, with 33 inch wheels, with 4-1/4 inch axle journals and solid bearings. In a reflection of a different load weight at each end, the elliptical spring arrangement for the truck under the cupola end was different than the elliptical spring for the opposite end.

Between September 1939 and July 1943, records reveal that 300 cabooses were changed to wood beam trucks, including 40 cabooses in September 1939 and 59 cabooses during 1940. During 1941, an additional 84 cabooses were modified. During 1942 and 1943, another 97 cabooses and 20 cabooses were modified. On the Eastern District, the work was performed at Council Bluffs, North Platte, Cheyenne, and, Denver. During August 1948, 55 steel underframe CA-1 cabooses on the Eastern, District, numbered between 2526 and 3281, were identified as needing wood beam, trucks. The exchange trucks were to come from a pool of 89 older CA-class cabooses. The truck replacement program stalled after 1948, but work resumed during the early 1950s, with another 44 cabooses completed during 1952 alone.

An internal UP letter about the truck-change, showed that in August 1948 a program was begun to convert 11 steel underframe CA-1 cabooses to wood beam trucks. By November 1948 only 35 CA-1s on the Eastern District remained to be converted, from the beginning number of 55 cars. When the program started, there were 72 cars with the wood beam trucks. In 1951 there were 277 cabooses in service on the Eastern District, of which 91 were steel CA-3s and CA-4s. The remaining 186 cars were either wood underframe CAs or steel underframe CA-1s, most of which were apparently equipped with wood beam trucks.

UP's first steel cabooses, the CA-3s and the CA-4s, were delivered with wood beam trucks. During the 1950s, the original wood beam trucks on these first of UP's steel cabooses were changed to newly purchased and better-riding inside swing hanger and outside swing hanger trucks from General Steel Castings. As replacement trucks, these two all-steel truck designs rode equally as well as the original wood beam trucks, but required far less maintenance. The program to replace the original wood beam trucks on CA-3s and CA-4s began in 1952 and was specifically meant to both replace the wood beam trucks on the newer steel cabooses, and to provide better riding wood beam trucks for 200 more CA and CA-1 wooden cabooses. The installation of wood beam trucks on the wooden cabooses was completed in 1958, as was the program to install steel trucks on the 200 steel cabooses.

Side Door Wooden Cabooses

Several UP CA-1 wood cabooses were rebuilt with a side door for mixed train service on branch lines. The side doors were needed to allow easier loading of baggage, mail and express into the cabooses, which served in place of baggage cars on the mixed trains. Some were equipped with a side door on only one side, in accordance with drawing 184-C-9100, which shows a 45-inch door mounted only to the left side of CA-1 cabooses (the cupola end is the A end, or the front end, on UP's wooden cabooses). The drawing is dated September 22, 1945, and shows that the centerline of the door is located 12 feet, 1/2 inch from the inside rear corner of the caboose, or about 12 feet, 3-3/4 inches from the outside, corner. To accommodate the space needed to handle baggage and express shipments, the interior seat on the left side was removed. On normal CA-1 cabooses, this seat was 13 feet long and 26 inches wide, with enclosed storage space provided below the seat area. On the right side, the side opposite the, side door, there was a seat-locker that was 6 feet, 6 inches long. There was also space for the stove and its attendant coal box.

The design on the drawing provided for only a left side door, but UP 25766 (renumbered from UP 2624 in August 1962) was equipped with a side door on both sides. This caboose was assigned until 1958 to the Sandy (Utah) Local, operating out of Salt Lake City. It was then assigned to the Malad (Idaho)
Local, operating out of Ogden, Utah. Its last assignment was the Coalmont Branch (the former Laramie, North Park & Western Railroad), operating out, of Laramie, Wyoming. It was retired in November 1971. On 25766, in addition to the left side door, and to allow the stove to remain in place, the right side door, was located more toward the rear of the caboose. Because the CA-1 design provided four bench seats at the front, ahead of the cupola, the interior space at the rear could easily be used for baggage and express shipments, and on the 25766, having two side doors made this interior space accessible from both sides.

Without written documentation, we can only speculate as to when the side doors were added, although the September 1945 drawing gives some indication. Apparently, the side door cabooses were done solely to fulfill local operating conditions, with the door (or doors) being added by the local car shop or repair track.

Following is a listing of the known examples of cabooses with side doors:

Car Number

Type

Notes

UP 2137

Box Car

UP 2269

CA-1

One side has just two windows

UP 2612

CA-1

Assigned to Malad Local out of Ogden, Utah

UP 2624

CA-1

Assigned to Sandy Local out of Salt Lake City; renumbered to 25766 in 1962.

UP 2640

CA-1

Assigned to Kearney Branch out of Kearney, Nebraska during early 1960; replaced UP caboose 2060 which had been used in combination with a combine car; renumbered to UP 25771 in 1963.

LA&SL 3117

CA

LA&SL 3117 had side doors on each side; photos show that Santa Maria Valley number 170, ex LA&SL 3117, had side doors on both sides; the doors on SMV 170 had been blanked out with plain vertical siding, indicating that LA&SL 3117 had been equipped with side doors.

UP 25766

CA-1

Renumbered from 2624 in 1962; assigned to the Sandy Local out of Salt Lake City until about 1958, then assigned to the Malad Local out of Ogden, then assigned to the Coalmont Branch out of Laramie; retired in 1971.

UP 25771

CA-1

Renumbered from UP 2640 in 1963; retired in 1966.

UP 25817

CA-1

Renumbered from UP 3238 in 1963; assigned to Pocatello and later to Columbus, Nebraska; retired in 1966.

Straight-Sided Cupolas

Although a majority of UP's wooden cabooses are usually recognized by their slope-sided cupolas, most of the cabooses before the CA-class in 1905 were built with straight-sided cupolas. Photographic evidence shows that most of the early straight-sided cupolas were replaced by either the Harriman-era slope-sided, standard cupola, or some variation. In addition, many LA&SL cabooses were either built, or rebuilt, with that road's unique high straight-sided cupola.

Following is a brief listing of the cabooses known to have straight-sided cupolas in later years:

Car, Number

Date, Built

Type

Date of, Photo

Notes

2053

Jul 1881

N.C.S.

2096

1885

N.C.S.

Nov 1959

Offset, cupola

2117

Nov 1881

N.C.S.

2200

Nov 1885

N.C.S.

Jun 1950

2453

Jul 1910

CA

1940

Built, by Standard

2450

Mar 1913

CA

1940

Built, by Pullman

2606

Dec 1920

CA-1

1950

Built, by PC&F

263_

Jan 1921

CA-1

Mar 1961

Built, by PC&F

2691

Aug 1924

CA-1

Mar 1954

Built, by OWR&N

3234

Oct 1924

CA-1

1954

Built, by OWR&N

High Cupolas

UP 3270, a CA-1 built by OWR&N's Albina Shops in November 1924, was rebuilt in 1937 with a high square cupola, with only a single window on the side of the cupola. The accompanying photos were taken some time after a visible November 1940 air brake date. This caboose may have been the prototype for a rebuild program for all of UP's wood cabooses, giving them a better located, high cupola, similar to those already applied to cabooses in the LA&SL fleet. Although the high cupola concept was not pursued with the wooden caboose fleet, it was obviously used later on the first steel cars. Only additional research will tell this car's real story. UP 3270 was retired in March 1958 without being renumbered to the 25000-series.

At least one UP CA-1 (UP 3264) was rebuilt from its original Common Standard-era, slope-sided low cupolas to a much higher, straight-sided cupola.

Photographic research shows that 16 cabooses built by LA&SL in their East Los Angeles shops in 1918 to 1921, during the CA-1 era, were completed using the earlier CA, design with four side windows. Numbered as LA&SL 3351-3363 and 3373-3375, these cars also had noticeably higher cupolas. Other LA&SL cabooses, such as LA&SL 3403, either received high cupolas when they were built, or received them as the result of normal refurbishment when the cupola needed replacement for reasons due to wreck damage or wear.

Steel Underframe Reinforcement

Until the delivery of the steel underframe CA-1s in 1914, all Union Pacific (along with, OSL, OWR&N, and LA&SL) cabooses had either all-wooden underframes, or steel strengthened wooden underframes. Beginning in 1926, a program was initiated to reinforce the wooden underframes of many of the earlier cars. The details are not known, but between July 1926 and August 1931, at least 162 wooden cabooses had their wooden underframes strengthened with steel components. Twenty cabooses were completed in 1926, 49 were completed in 1927, 29 in 1928, 31 in 1929, 19 in 1930, and 14 were completed in 1931. Available records also identify five cabooses completed in 1941. The car numbers of the cabooses that had their frames reinforced ranged from Non-Common Standard caboose 2007, completed in July 1928, to 2524, the highest numbered CA-class, caboose, completed in February 1931. Records show that 68 N.C.S. cabooses, (2007-2279) were modified, and 99 CA-class cabooses (2280-2524) were modified. Undoubtedly, many more were also completed, allowing the CA-class to remain in service in the mainline pools as long as they did, with the last three wooden underframed CA-class cars, with road numbers 25723, 25724, and 25725, being retired in 1967, along with five of the last 14 steel underframe CA-1s.

Due to similar designs, it is interesting to note how Southern Pacific chose to overcome problems with the strength of the underframe on their early wooden, cabooses. As SP became aware of the need for stronger underframes, in about 1910, the road tried using continuous steel members below the center sills. These longitudinal steel frame members connected the draft gears to directly transmit buff and draw forces, so that the wood framing merely braced the steel against buckling, but otherwise did not significantly add to the strength of, the underframe. On SP, these full-length steel frame members were apparently 6-inch I beams, and directly replaced truss rods that were beginning to be applied to some of the cars. Over succeeding years, and as late as the 1950s, a few SP CA-class wooden cabooses continued to receive steel underframes, compared to UP's program, which as mentioned above, apparently ended in about 1941.

Steel Sheathing

UP 3264, a CA-1 built by OWR&N's Albina Shops in November 1924, was rebuilt at Cheyenne, Wyoming in December 1941 with a steel superstructure. As with the high cupolas mentioned above, this steel sheathing may also have been a prototype for a caboose rebuild program. The first all-steel CA-3 cars began arriving just six months later, in May 1942, and this potential upgrade program was put on hold. UP 3264 was renumbered to 25829 in August 1962, and was retired in, December 1963.

Plywood Sheathing

At least two CA-1s were rebuilt with plywood sheathing, to replace the high maintenance, tongue and groove siding. Although UP's experiment with plywood sheathing on cabooses is not dated, it likely took place at the same time as 1938-1939 test installations on 17 refrigerator cars by Pacific Fruit Express, who was also sensitive to the high costs of tongue and groove sheathing. The plywood sheets on UP cabooses were attached using vertical metal battens, and the cars were, equipped with metal body corners to replace the previous wood corners. The two known plywood-sheathed cabooses are UP 25741 (ex 2545), now on private property, at Bancroft, Idaho, and UP 2650, preserved and displayed at Ogallala, Nebraska. Both are standard three-window, sloped cupola CA-1 cabooses.

Were there ever any CA-2 cabooses?

The best known and most easily identified UP wooden cabooses were the CA-1 class. And the first steel cabooses were the CA-3 class. A natural question is, "What did the CA-2 class look like?"

No CA-2s are known to have ever been built. However, research suggests that a formal CA-2 design existed as early as 1924, showing up as notations on engineering drawings as both an improved Class CA-1-2 and as Class CA-2.

Rail equipment historian Ed Workman has speculated that since the CA-1 design referred to the UP caboose with a Bettendorf steel underframe, the CA-2 was the same wooden body, but with a built-up steel underframe assembled by UP itself. The use of a built-up steel frame came as an alternative to the commercial steel frame offered by Bettendorf. Pacific Fruit Express first used built-up steel underframes in 1920-1924, when they accepted delivery of 10,900 class R-30-12 refrigerator cars, using a single 18-inch I-beam. In 1920-1926, PFE accepted over 7,600 R-30-13 cars, each using a built-up frame that used two 20-1/2 inch steel plate center sills. Costs were almost identical, at about $3,900 per car, showing that having an alternative design was the factor, rather than overall economics.

The only reference to a CA-2 class in engineering drawings comes from the CA-1 drawing, number 246-C-2313, labeled as General Design, Caboose Class, CA-1-2. In the lower right hand corner, near the title block, there is a note:

"For caboose class CA-2. The superstructure shown on this drawing should be used in connection with railroad company's design of underframe shown on drawing C-2738. Estimated service weight of caboose about 35250 lbs."

Research has yet to turn up any evidence that any CA-2s were ever built in the 18 year period between the last wooden CA-1 in 1924 and the first steel CA-3 in 1942. There were a couple experiments in the 1930s with plywood sheathing, and another with a higher cupola in 1937, and still another car received steel sheathing in 1941, but none of these features can be considered to be part of a CA-2 class.

The note about CA-2 class on the above mentioned drawing is not dated, and the revisions to the drawing are simply dated, with no notation as to what each revision consisted of. The range of dates falls between November 28, 1914 and September, 17, 1929, when the entire drawing was redrawn. Any attempt to find more about the mystery CA-2 class centers on these dates. Mere speculation points to the CA-2 class as coming sometime after 1924, when the last CA-1 was built, and the 1929 date for when the drawing was redrawn, giving credibility to the speculation that the CA-2 class was simply an alternate version of the CA-1, with the built-up steel underframe.

Replacement Cabooses

The fact that there are CA-1 style cabooses with CA-class (and N.C.S. class) numbers, brings up the possibility that UP either had built, or built in its own shops, replacement cabooses. It is possible that during the 1920s and 1930s, as certain CA-class and N.C.S. class cabooses were destroyed in wrecks, their number slots may have been filled by newly built cabooses. This is documented in the case of OSL CA-class cars 700 and 715. Both were delivered new by Pullman in June 1907. OSL 700 is shown in post 1926 records as being built in January 1911 (along with OSL 729-747) by American Car & Foundry. OSL 715 is shown in later records as being built in July 1910 (along with OSL 725-728) by Standard, Car Co.

An example of a CA with a CA-1 body is the 25729, formerly OWR&N 3575. This car was built in July 1910 as a Harriman-era CA-class caboose. The car was eventually sold, and is now preserved at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California. Without considering what type of underframe it has, and as it currently exists, the car has all the classic features of a standard CA-1 (three windows, cupola towards the middle), but should have the features of a CA (four windows, cupola more towards the end).

An example of an N.C.S. number in a Harriman-era CA body is OWRR&N 3505, now restored as part of the Nevada State Railroad Museum at Boulder City, Nevada. Built in 1882 by OR&N at their shop in The Dalles, Oregon, the car originally had four side windows, an end cupola, and all-wooden frame members. At some point in its history, the car was rebuilt (or the entire body replaced) to include steel underframe members and an off-set cupola. It retained four side windows (like other CA-class cars), but the fourth window was closer to the front of the car.

Other examples of cars which seem to be out of sequence include UP 2443 and LA&SL, 4272. UP 2443 is shown as being built in January 1911 by Standard, and the number is among UP 2440-2464, built by Standard in July 1910. LA&SL 4272 is shown as being built in February 1910 by Pullman, and the number is among the LA&SL 4269-4274 group, built by Pullman in June 1909.

This practice of replacement cabooses is well documented on other roads, especially on Southern Pacific, but no documentation has been identified that would support whether or not UP did the same thing. Only additional research will bring an answer to this question of replacement cabooses on UP.

Below is a list of cabooses that were likely replacement cabooses.

Car Number

Type

Original
Date Built

Later
Date Built

Notes

LA&SL 4272

CA

Feb 1910

OSL 700

CA

Jun 1907

Jan 1911

OSL 715

CA

Jun 1907

Jul 1910

OWRR&N 3575

CA

Jul 1910

CA-1 features

OWRR&N 3505

N.C.S.

1882

UP 2060

N.C.S.

1882

Jul 1918 (?)

CA-1 features

UP 2072

N.C.S.

1880

CA-1 features, straight cupola

UP 2443

CA

Jan 1911

Power Brakes and Safety Plates

Research among photographs shows that several CA-1s received what has become known as power handbrakes, but the total quantity is unknown. One researcher thinks that this change was likely done in the Northwestern District in 19590s or 1960s, and over the following years, the cabooses spread across the system.

Some of the cars with power brakes also have a safety plate installed to fill the opening in the end platform handrails.

Overland Models did at least one CA-1 in HO scale with power hand brakes, which they called "modernized ends."

Several wooden cabooses received power hand brakes:

Car Number

Type

Photo
Date

Caboose Book
Page No.

LA&SL 3393

CA-1

Aug 1954

page 54

UP 25571
(ex UP 2640)

CA-1

Oct 1963

page 59

OWRR&N 3506

CA

Aug 1961

page 60

OWRR&N 3601

CA-1

bef May 1960

page 60

UP 2640

CA-1

Jan 1960

page 66 (other side but same end as Kratville, UP Equipment, page 81)

SLG&W 50

CA

page 98

Wooden Cabooses with Wood Beam Trucks

The following table shows known dates for when CA and CA-1 cabooses received wood beam trucks: